Retrain your thinking and your life with these simple, scientifically proven techniques!
Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT for short, is often cited as the gold standard of psychotherapy. Its techniques allow you to identify the negative thought processes that hold you back and exchange them for new, productive ones that can change your life. CBT's popularity continues to grow, and more individuals are turning to CBT as a way to help develop a healthier, more productive outlook on life.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Dummies shows you how you can easily incorporate the techniques of CBT into your day-to-day life and produce tangible results. You'll learn how to take your negative thoughts to boot camp and retrain them, establishing new habits that tackle your toxic thoughts and retool your awareness, allowing you to be free of the weight of past negative thinking biases.
Move on: Take a fresh look at your past and maybe even overcome it
Mellow out: Relax yourself through techniques that reduce anger and stress
Lighten up: Read practical advice on healthy attitudes for living and ways to nourish optimism
Look again: Discover how to overcome low self-esteem and body image issues
Whatever the issue, don't let your negative thoughts have the last say-start developing your new outlook on life today with help from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Dummies!
Introduction 1
Part 1: Introducing CBT Basics 7
Chapter 1: You Feel the Way You Think 9
Chapter 2: Spotting Errors in Your Thinking 21
Chapter 3: Tackling Toxic Thoughts 43
Chapter 4: Designing and Conducting Behavioural Experiments 55
Chapter 5: Pay Attention! Refocusing and Retraining Your Awareness 67
Part 2: Charting the Course: Defining Problems and Setting Goals 79
Chapter 6: Exploring Emotions 81
Chapter 7: Identifying Solutions That Cause You Problems 105
Chapter 8: Setting Your Sights on Goals 119
Part 3: Putting CBT Into Action 129
Chapter 9: Standing Up to Anxiety and Facing Fear 131
Chapter 10: Abolishing Addictions 143
Chapter 11: Building a Better Body Image and Beating BDD 161
Chapter 12: Deconstructing and Demolishing Depression 183
Chapter 13: Sleeping Soundly 201
Chapter 14: Overcoming Obsessions 211
Chapter 15: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem and Accepting Yourself 225
Chapter 16: Cooling Down Your Anger 241
Chapter 17: Healing Illness Anxiety 261
Part 4: Looking Backwards and Moving Forwards 267
Chapter 18: Taking a Fresh Look at Your Past 269
Chapter 19: Moving New Beliefs from Your Head to Your Heart 287
Chapter 20: Heading for a Healthier and Happier Life 301
Chapter 21: Overcoming Obstacles to Progress 317
Chapter 22: Psychological Gardening: Maintaining Your CBT Gains 327
Chapter 23: Working with the Professionals 337
Part 5: The Part of Tens 351
Chapter 24: Ten Philosophies for Living That Work 353
Chapter 25: Ten Self-Esteem Boosters That Don't Work 361
Chapter 26: Ten Mythical Monsters of Mental Health 367
Part 6: Appendixes 373
Appendix A: Recommended Resources 375
Appendix B: Forms 379
Index 395
